MIMIX Promoter for AS/400
The pressure on IT managers to support continuous operations and high availability environments has never been greater. Nights, weekends, holidays, these once comfortable windows of time for managing IT maintenance tasks are rapidly being eliminated by the 24x7 uptime requirements of e-business, ERP and virtual users. Meanwhile task loads keep increasing, with operations staff struggling to schedule system downtime when it least affects user productivity and business profitability.
MIMIX Promoter for AS/400 is a Continuous Operations solution which enables multi-system database file reorganizations for the IBM AS/400 in a live production environment. Downtime is virtually eliminated for this key maintenance activity. MIMIX Promoter can be used independently or in conjunction with other MIMIX Availability Management products toward the elimination of AS/400 downtime.
Eliminate Planned Downtime
MIMIX Promoter for AS/400 provides continuous operations during database reorganizations. Database files can become disorganized due to the quantity of deletions, which affects the time necessary to access the data and increases CPU usage. Performing a database reorganization can reclaim space but requires a static database file during the entire file reorganization process, which can take hours or even days to complete. Now with MIMIX Promoter, database reorganizations can be performed anytime while users retain full access to their files. MIMIX Promoter creates and reorganizes a shadow copy of the database file while keeping the original file on line. File update activity is captured and applied to the reorganized file. After rebuilding is complete, MIMIX Promoter will automatically and transparently swap the new files into production.
Concurrent Multi-system Database Reorganizations MIMIX Promoter can automatically coordinate database reorganizations across multiple systems. This enables MIMIX Promoter to be used with the other MIMIX availability management products to keep backup or secondary systems synchronized with the primary system. On an individual AS/400 server, MIMIX Promoter can also enable transparent application database file updates with minimum downtime.
Ease of Use
MIMIX Promoter contains a display for system administrators to track file activity during database reorganizations and application updates, and provides status information such as the number of records copied and time to completion. Installation is fully automated with a minimum of screens.
MIMIX Promoter requires journaling of the applications and databases prior to file promotion and database reorganization. MIMIX Promoter will identify whether you are currently journaling files and take advantage of an existing journaling environment.
Many of MIMIX Promoter data conversions are handled automatically (including field extensions, field truncations and file compressions). Control exits provide points within the application for specific routines as determined by the user. User exit routines can be developed in-house using templates provided with MIMIX Promoter. Data exit routines can be used to manipulate the data necessary for any operation which the built-in map/drop support is insufficient. Triggers and constraints are also automatically handled appropriately.
MIMIX Promoter Online Database Reorganization
Create Shadow Copy MIMIX Promoter for AS/400 begins the process of database reorganization by creating a shadow copy of the active production database on both primary and backup machines. Similar to IBM's reorganize physical file member command but does not require an exclusive lock to be reorganized
Perform Reorganization MIMIX Promoter automatically starts journaling if it is not previously started and users can continue to work on the production file. Changes on the production file are stored in the journal receiver to be periodically applied to the shadow copy. File members to be reorganized are chosen through the Member function.
File Synchronization MIMIX Promoter for AS/400 begins copying the production file record-by-record, excluding the deleted records to the shadow copy file. When the shadow file is populated with the original data, MIMIX Promoter applies any remaining changes in the journal receiver to the shadow copy. This synchronization process continues indefinitely until the file is moved into production, thereby guaranteeing data integrity. A copy of the original non-compressed file can be saved with the Save Uncompressed File function.
Reorganization Complete Up until this point, MIMIX Promoter has performed the reorganization process without disrupting user access to the production file. The final step is to move the shadow file into production. MIMIX Promoter can automatically complete this or give you the option to determine when to temporarily move users off the production file and promote the shadow file into production. Shadow files on multiple machines can be promoted simultaneously to maintain complete synchronization. Database reorganization is complete, with downtime reduced from hours to minutes.
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